I've just arrived back in the UK after visiting the AMICA convention in
Boston.  While there, I took the opportunity of purchasing some new and
recut piano rolls.  I'd not actually seen and heard these particular
rolls before, and was very impressed indeed by the quality both of the
music and the overall presentation.  I feel they deserve a bit of
publicity via the MMD.

For new performances, the only vendor this year was Tim Baxter with his
Meliora products.  Being a sucker for James P. Johnson and stride piano
generally, I got copies of all the John Roache performances on offer.
These rolls almost play themselves -- and there are not that many new
rolls you can say that of!  (http://members.aol.com/meliorarol/)

We had three sets of recuts on offer: the familiar Keystone Ampico and
Duo-Art (and none the less welcome for being familiar), and the far
less familiar ones from Karl Ellison's New England Music Rolls and Dave
Saul's Precision Music Rolls.

New England Music Rolls (NEMR) are offering some choice pickings from
right across the spectrum, the jewel being Jelly Roll Morton's long-
lost and superb 'The Pearls'.  I've been having great fun getting to
grips with this piece, which is remarkably advanced for a mid-1920s
composition, yet alone a mid-1920s piano roll.  Only having the roll on
your piano really brings home the impact of the composition.  Get it
now!  (http://members.aol.com/NEMRoll/home.html)

Although I don't have an Ampico piano, I just had to buy a sample of
Dave Saul's recuts when I saw them.  Surely the best recuts anyone has
ever offered - punch-for-punch remastering (courtesy of Wayne Stahnke),
top-quality paper, and beautifully produced labels for the near-100% of
the time they'll spend on the shelf!

Of course, there are several other new roll producers of note:
particular favourites of mine are Rob DeLand's BluesTone and the
various offerings of Frank Himpsl and John Farrell.  When they issue
new catalogues I hope we'll be told all about them.

All MMD player piano owners should consider purchasing some of these
new rolls.  They are well worth the price (which, given the costs and
time involved, is uniformly good value), and the quality these days
really is superb.  I really appreciate all the effort that has gone
into making them, and offer this posting as a public encouragement to
all to continue!

Julian Dyer